Barefoot Pam

The Debt Snowflake Challenge :: Week 6

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:38:00 +0000

I'm a day late, but I am determined to stick this challenge out for the year! Here's what our debts look like as of this morning:

Hubby's 'Large' School Loan - $5,587.xx (-$XX.xx; not sure at the moment)

My School Loan - $6,091.46 (-$109.75)

Hubby's 'Small' School Loan - $4,012.06 (-$65.35)

~~Hospital bill - $285 (no change)~~ PAID OFF!

~~Credit Card - $2,419.10 (+$50.10)~~ PAID OFF!

~~Familial Loan - $1000 (no change)~~ PAID OFF!

As I expected, I was able to pay off that pesky hospital bill...just in time to wait for another one from this baby's birth! (But we now have savings ready for that one--so we'll be able to pay it immediately!)

I haven't taken the time to get on the phone to check the exact amount of Hubby's bigger school loan, so I'll leave it as is for now. For now I plan on taking the $25 we were spending on the hospital bill each month and adding that to what we pay on Hubby's smaller loan. I also plan on adding what we would have paid on the credit card to that, but it will vary month by month.

After talking with Hubby we have decided that we will use the cash I make weekly through after-school baby-sitting (anywhere between $5 and $30 per week) for our trip to Fort Wilderness this summer. That won't help eliminate these debts any faster, but it should give us a nice cash base for gasoline and meals on the way there. And that will free us from the temptation of using the so-called convenience of our credit card. :o)

I think we had a pretty good week and I'm looking forward to another decent one, especially since I know I've got some PayPal cash to use coming in on Valentine's Day! My dad has also suggested we look into refinancing our house (apparently interest has gone down to about half of what we're currently paying), so we'll be checking into that this week as well. If we go for it, that should give us a bunch of 'extra' money to throw into our snowflakes!

How has the Debt Snowflake Challenge been going for you?

Walgreens Prescription Savings Club

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you heard about Walgreens Prescription Savings Club?

Our family's prescription coverage is very good, (even if we are tied to one pharmacy) so I've never had to worry about prescription costs. I can even say I've never gone a single day uninsured--period, and we get most of our prescriptions for $4 or less. I know I have been very, very blessed in that regard. Unfortunately, I know that is not the case for most people. Walgreens can help! Individuals can purchase an annual membership to the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club for just $20. Have a family? No problem--the cost for a family membership is just $35. In case you're wondering, a family membership covers your entire immediate family: spouse, dependents (age 22 and younger), and pets. Where else can you find prescription coverage for pets? I think this is a great deal, especially if you have little ones that tend to get sick all.the.time. (Guess what we've been dealing with lately...)

There are many other benefits to the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club as well. Members receive savings on more than 8,000 brand-name and ALL generic medications. As if that's not worth the membership cost, discounts on flu shots, nebulizers, diabetic supplies, and pet prescriptions. And there's more: members earn bonuses for buying Walgreens brand products and photofinishing services.

You can support Walgreens and stay up-to-date with all sorts of information by following Walgreens on Twitter and "liking" Walgreens on Facebook.

How do you save on your family's prescriptions?

The Debt Snowflake Challenge :: Week 5

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:30:00 +0000

Yippee! Our tax refund found its way to our checking account, so that's been a major helper in getting rid of the smaller bits of debt here. And--Hubby found a way to check the balance of the loan taken out in his dad's name, so we have an almost-official total for that loan--the largest of them all. Here are the current totals for our debt as of this morning:

Hubby's 'Large' School Loan - $5,587.xx ($1,413 LESS than my estimate--sweet!)

My School Loan - $6,201.21 (+$5.75)

Hubby's 'Small' School Loan - $4,077.41 (+3.49)

Hospital bill - $285 (no change)

What? Does it look like I'm missing something? I am! Here's the best part about today's update:

~~Credit Card - $2,419.10 (+$50.10)~~ PAID OFF!

~~Familial Loan - $1000 (no change)~~ PAID OFF!

Woo hoo! Good riddance to those debts! As of next week, that paid off list should also include the hospital bill. I goofed with one of the due dates for something else and I need to make sure I don't overdraft--and get socked with a big ol' fee! We've also set a large portion of our remaining tax refund aside for (a) our emergency fund and (b) most of Hubby's trip to Swaziland this summer. It feels sooooo good to have that "buffer" in place again!

In other snowflaking news, around mid-February I should have about $60 PayPal cash to snowflake on our next debt thanks to SwagBucks and SocialSpark. Stay tuned for more happy updates from me!

Unlike the non-winter weather we've been experiencing, it's been a blizzard of "snowflakes" around here. How are you doing?

What a difference 4 weeks can make...

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:31:00 +0000

...my belly has definitely dropped from where it was in these photos, but according the the doctor he's pretty darn sure he'll see me next week--at the office, not the hospital. Bummer. :o(

Whether he's right or wrong, this baby will be here (hopefully) sooner rather than later, so I think it's about time I "showed off" some maternity pictures I had taken by a friend--before it's time to show off the newborn photos she's going to take for us.

And now I've found a nice line-your-photos-up-nicely-in-blogger tutorial on another blog written by a woman from our church. Score! :o)

Here they are, taken and edited by Kylee Sue Photography!

First we've got the cute "all belly" shot along with a beautiful collage. I absolutely loved the tag she made for my belly; it reads "To: Josh & Pam, From: God". It's a beautiful reminder of a beautiful thing!

Next up, I'm going to show you my personal favorite portion of the session: teaching Hubby how to make a heart with his hands. And him telling me not to look at his boogers when Kylee told us to look at each other. Yep, we're that mature (sometimes).

And the final result:

The last picture I'm sharing today...

{Reminder of something we want all of our kids to know--in Daddy's handwriting}

Thanks for the great work, Kylee! (Make sure you check her out if you're in the area; you won't be dissapointed!)

What do you think? Am I crazy for having maternity shots taken--for a fourth pregnancy?

The Debt Snowflake Challenge :: Week 4

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:23:00 +0000

Here are our debt totals as they stand today:

Hubby's 'Large' School Loan - $7,000-ish? (still a big ol' question mark...grrr!)

{One of these days I WILL figure it out! I think I can get it done if I find the account number...hopefully that's possible!}
My School Loan - $6,195.46 (+$5.35)
Hubby's 'Small' School Loan - $4073.92 (+$14.54)
Credit Card - $2,419.10 (+$50.10)
Familial Loan - $1000 (no change)
Hospital Bill - $285 (no change)

The bad news is that interest stinks, especially on big amounts like these. But the good news is I finished our taxes online via TaxAct and our refund should be in our main checking account by February 8. There will be some BIG changes to this list after that--including at least 3 of these debts performing disappearing acts. I can't wait! :o)

I had made a little bit of cash through after-school babysitting, but we opted to go out on what we're pretty sure will be our last "real date" before baby makes an appearance instead of applying it to the hospital bill debt. I'm pretty sure we'll be thankful for that tiny little getaway once we're "trapped" at home by a newborn.

Oh well...still a little disappointed this week. Check for an update to my D-Day page later today, and watch out for week 6's update--it'll be a good one for sure!

Have your snowflakes been more like scattered flurries or blizzards?

The Debt Snowflake Challenge :: Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:20:00 +0000

This week I haven't managed to actually snowflake anything, unless you count the fact that I haven't spent the $10 I earned through after-school babysitting.

Here are our debt totals as they stand today:

Hubby's 'Large' School Loan - $7,000-ish? (still a big ol' question mark...grrr!)
My School Loan - $6,190.11 (-$113.29)
Hubby's 'Small' School Loan - $4059.38 (-$1.16)
Credit Card - $2,369.00 (no change)
Familial Loan - $1000 (no change)
Hospital Bill - $285 (-$65.00)

{Yes, that's exactly the same as last week. I really really really want the rest of our 2011 tax info!!! :(}

So we really did make no headway this week. At all. Oh, well. That $10 I mentioned earlier will be added to whatever I am able to come up with for next week's snowflaking.

How do you deal with discouragement as a participant of the Debt Snowflake Challenge?

Me & Organization :: Third Thursday Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:56:00 +0000

This month's topic for Third Thursday Thoughts is organizational ideas. We're supposed to share what we do around the house to stay organized or share our problem areas and what we're trying to work on that.

Haha...where to begin? I like to say I'm organized, but I am so not. I seriously debate hiring someone to come in and give every room in this house a complete overhaul. And then I realize I'd better not because it'll all be undone in less than a week. For me, it's a never-ending cycle that I don't see ending anytime soon, especially with another little "mess-maker" on the way. ;o)

I do, however know that I CAN change things for the better around here. That's what I'm going to try to do again for the umpteenth time since...I'm not really sure. Probably since Hubby and I were married in 2004. It seems like I can do really well at keeping up with (most of) the house for a week or so and then I feel like I deserve a break, so I take one. And then everything looks so daunting that I'd rather not even try to catch up. Bad idea. Very bad idea.

Lucky for me, I have a good idea as well. I'll be hopping back on the FlyLady bandwagon again. After all...I can do anything for 15 minutes. I can do anything through His strength!

*Disclaimer: This blog post enters me into a drawing to win 2 copies of The Guide to Getting and Staying Organized by Karen Ehman; and that link is an affiliate link. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

January (in)spired deals...with $20 Coupon Code Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:25:00 +0000

Hello!

I was sooo excited when I came upon the opportunity to do a review and giveaway for DaySpring Cards Inc. Here are the contents of the box I found on my front porch last week:

(1) So True card pack
(1) Boxed set of thank you cards
(1) Card/Letter organizer
(Thanks for the surprise organizer, DaySpring!)

Let me start by saying that this opportunity is a great catalyst for achieving one of my new year's resolutions: three handwritten notes/letter sent out each month. And now that I have an organizer for all these cards, I can just slip them into their appropriate space (there are monthly tab dividers in there) and at the beginning of each month, pull them out and decide when and where to send them.

The thank you cards are adorable! They are simple, cute and are illustrated with paper-heart banners. They remind me of some of the decor we put up for the Timbali Women's Camp. The "So True" pack of cards lives up to its name. I could exclaim "That is sooo true!" after reading each of them. Three of the cards are birthday cards telling the recipient how beautiful she is in God's eye--all in different ways. The rest are all everyday or just because cards. I think my favorite might be the one that says something along the lines of "He took the sins of the world; our issue are a piece of cake ". Love it. I can't wait to figure out whose day I'm going to brighten with all of the different choices I have remaining...maybe it will be you! ;o)

So, would you like to know who my first card is being sent to? I had a particular woman in mind to write to, even before this opportunity arose. She's probably one of the bravest women I know. She stood in front of an entire congregation one night and stated that she was being baptized because her husband (whom she had been with for 12 years; 7 of them married) had left her a few weeks earlier, making her realize how much she relied on him, rather than Jesus for everything.

I was in total shock as her words projected across the room. We grew up down the road from each other; we took a 3-hour class together our senior year; we graduated the same year; she apologized for 'kicking me out' of our class' academic top twenty; we were married the same year. We were never close, but I always assumed we were much the same. I fought tears as she bravely claimed her baptism as outward proof of her relying on nobody but Jesus Christ. I can't think of someone better to receive a card that is as beautiful and artistic as she is and states

"Wherever you are right now is God's place for you.

And one of those places is in my thoughts and prayers."

This particular card captures exactly what my heart is feeling and wants her to know...but I never would have been able to put it into words in such an eloquent yet simple way. I'm hoping it will touch this woman's heart and make her know that she is not in her painful journey alone, even though I'm sure it feels that way at times.

Oops...almost forgot! YOU have a chance to win a $20 coupon code to use on DaySpring Cards Inc product to have one less excuse to avoid sending that card or note to someone special. Just fill out the form below and you're in the running for it. Good luck everybody!

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If the form is not working/showing, use this link instead.

Will you make a point to send someone a handwritten note this week? You never know just how much it might mean to them!

*Discalimer: DaySpring Cards Inc provided me with free product (and a coupon code for the giveaway) to facilitate this review. As always opinions are 100% mine and were not influenced by the company in any way. This post contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Overseas Part 6: Game Drive

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:10:00 +0000

If you read my last Swaziland post, you know that our team was more than ready for some time to "take a break" and spend some time just enjoying the fact that we were in Africa. Luckily for us, it was time to take in our game drive (safari). The package we had was amazing--an evening game drive, dinner and a show, lodging in open huts and a morning game drive along with breakfast. It was amazing!

Here are some of the pictures others were able to capture...my camera batteries were dead at this point and I didn't have extras. Funny thing is, I wasn't the only one in that boat. I think we had 4 or 5 functioning cameras between the eight of us!

Yeah...this wasn't intimidating at all...

Our awesome driver--he had to open the gate to where the "dangerous" animals were and then close it behind us, too. (We heard the distinct crackle of electricity.)

What have we gotten ourselves into?!?

Hippos...seriously scary. We were told that if we got in the water, those hippos would have us dead in a very short amount of time. You wouldn't think they can move fast, but apparently that is not the case.

Loved seeing the giraffes hovering over the treetops

"Zay-brahs"...got a kick out of the beautiful accent

Lots of these guys around...

So what does a good guide do when he knows there are
CAPE BUFFALO lying down out of sight?

Apparently, he gets out of the vehicle and makes just the right amount of noise...
enough to make them get up, but not enough to get them to charge

Look! God even blessed us with a beautiful rainbow--biggest/widest one I have ever seen!

Rhino! I think this one was the black rhino.

White wildebeast

More beauty...the skies were always amazing.

The platform we used to enter/exit the safari vehicle

Being escorted to our hut for the night
(not my bag, by the way...mine was a whole lot smaller!)

Waiting for dinner

First dinner item served...this was followed by a
buffet from which I did eat impala stew

These were our beds for the night. 2-3 to a stone hut. We even got warm water bottles at the foot of our beds.
Some of us may or may not have been a little leery of the big lump at the bottom of our bunk...

Morning safari (before breakfast) = COOOOOLD!!!

Isn't this "grumpy" rhino adorable?

Baby rhino was probably my favorite animal of our entire excursion

Have you seen elephants? I mean really seen them?

They are huge. Beautiful and huge and extremely intimidating.

I will admit that NOT hearing the [two!] elephant charging stories would have made
the elephants a little less intimidating; ignorance can be bliss...

This path was not nearly as intimidating in daylight as it was in the dark. ;o)

The view from our toilet/shower area. For real. This was a little scary in the dark with just candlelight...and the knowledge that only the "dangerous" animals were behind the crazy electric fence.

Breakfast!

These guys were ALL over the place!

Absolutely precious baby...right along the path
between our lodging huts and breakfast area

Do you think we brought enough luggage with us?

We actually saw every type of animal on this game reserve--not typical according to our driver. It was so much fun...such an adrenaline rush at times!

Make sure to check back next week for a post in which I attempt to pull a thoughtful and meaningful conclusion out of my short little trip to Swaziland.

Other posts documenting my mission trip to Swaziland:
Overseas Part 1: Tourists at Large
Overseas Part 2: Settling (and Diving) In
Overseas Part 3: Immersion
Overseas Part 4: Timbali Women's Camp
Overseas Part 5: Mourning & Joy

A Deal or 2 via SocialSpark

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I think this would make a great collaborative Mother's Day gift...

And who doesn't love saving money on fun gadgets?

I'll be back tomorrow with more something more substantial...I'm thinking it's about time to share pictures of the game drive our group went on while in Swaziland! :o)

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Walgreen's & Express Script

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:01:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Walgreens and Express Script are no longer partners in providing prescriptions. As of January 1, 2012 Walgreens is no longer a part of Express Script's pharmacy provider network. If your prescription coverage card has the name "Express Scripts" on the back, you may be affected. For Express Script's members that have used Walgreens as their pharmacy of choice for years, this has not been a fun time. Not only have they had to find a new pharmacy (some after years of getting to know their pharmacist), but many times the pharmacy included in their Express Script coverage is out of the way or not open at times convenient to them.

Walgreens does have a solution for those that wish to continue using Walgreens as their pharmacy: the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club. For the month of January, individuals can join for just $5, and families (spouse, dependents age 22 and younger and pets) can join for $10. Benefits of this savings club include savings on more than 8,000 brand-name and all generic medications; discounts on flu shots, pet prescriptions, nebulizers and diabetic supplies; and bonuses when you buy Walgreens brand products.

You can show your support by following Walgreens on Twitter and/or liking Walgreens on Facebook.

Have you ever had a major disruption in your prescription services?

Cheap - Easy - Delicious Caramel Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

*Note: I've had this post ready to go except for the pictures since October 26...I've finally moved some pictures from the camera to the computer. So--the wording's a bit off, but the snack is still scrumptious. :o) Enjoy!

One snack that I always associate with fall and the arrival of cooler weather is caramel. Especially a good, gooey caramel dip. I could eat it every day. Probably forever. But I won't; I do have a smidge of self-control. ;o)

My problem is that I either don't remember to buy caramel or I refuse to spend that much money on something that will last through only ONE (maybe two) snacktimes for us. But years ago, my mom introduced me to an amazing concept. See below:

Do you know what that is? It's a can of sweetened condensed milk--boiled in can for two or three hours. And when it's opened, it has changed to this:

Note my need to take my own advice given below...

That's right: It's now some yummy CARAMEL! Make sure you're very careful as you open the can...it's been in boiling water for hours. The can and its contents are extremely hot--and prone to explode if you don't open it slowly enough! We usually eat it with apples slices...

This is what works for me--spending half as much money (or less), putting some extra effort into snacktime and creating something we all love to munch on!

What's your go-to treat in the cooler autumn months?

This post is linked to

The Debt Snowflake Challenge :: Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:11:00 +0000

I've managed to snowflake $40 since my last post, all from after-school babysitting. It's not a lot, but it's a start and it does feel pretty good knowing we're not spending it on something wasteful!

Here are our debt totals as they stand today:

Hubby's 'Large' School Loan - $7,000-ish? (still a big ol' question mark...grrr!)
My School Loan - $6,190.11 (-$113.29)
Hubby's 'Small' School Loan - $4059.38 (-$1.16)
Credit Card - $2,369.00 (no change)
Familial Loan - $1000 (no change)
Hospital Bill - $285 (-$65.00)

I feel like we've made little headway...but it's a start, and I'll take it! I just can't wait until my loan's tax info gets posted so I can finish our tax return. Our tax refund will be one BIG snowflake that'll be put to good use (but probably not until February from the looks of it)!

How are you doing with the Debt Snowflake Challenge?

The Debt Snowflake Challenge :: Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

I've decided to participate in "The Debt Snowflake Challenge". The general idea is to drastically cut--or eliminate--your debt over the course of this year. I've decided that the challenge I will take on is to completely eliminate our non-mortgage debt. Every single stinkin' penny of it. Hubby thinks I've totally lost my marbles, but I am just plain positive that it's possible. And he agreed to support me in this endeavor by any means possible. Isn't he sweet? Plus, he liked the idea of approximately $400 per month being available for something other than debt repayment. Yes, you read that right. It's comes out to be right around 18% of our income. Ouch!

Here is an outline of our current debt level, followed by a plan of attack.

Current Non-mortgage Debts:

Hubby's 'Large' School Loan - $7,000?

This is a total guess as of right now, but I'll be working on that in the next few weeks. We haven't been able to convince the loan company to give Hubby an online account to use--even though WE MAKE THE PAYMENTS--because the loan is in his father's name. Can you say frustrating?
I'm hoping and praying that my guess is more than a little off; it would be nice to see this number drop drastically right away!

My School Loan - $6,303.40
Hubby's 'Small' School Loan - $4,060.54
Credit Card - $2,369.00

This card will be either (a) literally frozen or (b) shoved to the bottom of a peanut butter jar once I take it out of hubby's wallet. Obviously, it's been waaaay too tempting for both of us to use!
We also have a teeny tiny emergency fund right now, so the majority of what's on this card were emergency purchases, not just spend-because-we-have-the-plastic-in-our-hands purchases

Familial loan - $1000.00

This funded half of my airfare to Swaziland
I'd classify this loan as no interest/no pressure, but it's been bugging me for nearly a YEAR now to get it paid back!

Hospital bill - $350.00

I've only been paying the monthly minimum on this for some reason. Not smart at all. :(
This one would not be here if we'd had a sizeable emergency fund in place at the beginning of last year.

That brings our total debt load to whopping total of

$21,082.94

as of January 6, 2012. Now it's time to formulate my plan.

Plan of Attack:

PRAY that we are able to accomplish this daunting task.
Refuse to accrue ANY new debt.
Bring and KEEP emergency fund at or above $2,500.
Set a realistic budget, making sure to include allowances and gifts.
Save and fundraise for Hubby's trip to Swaziland this summer. No money borrowed, and no money taken from emergency fund.
Snowflake EVERY penny of extra income.
Take a minimum of 3 'spending fasts' over the course of the year; snowflake any 'found' money.
Update D-Day page monthly (at least) for accountability purposes.
Bring in a minimum of $500 [additional] income per month by the end of December. I sense some major decluttering in our near future...

You can find others that have joined this challenge here:

So...what's your opinion? Have I totally lost my marbles or is this doable?

Things I Love Thursday :: E-Mealz

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Oh.my.goodness. I can't believe how long I put off buying a membership to E-Mealz. My thought was "Why? I can plan meals and write out a grocery list just fine, thank you." Oh but I was wrong. Sure, I can do it. But it's a headache and I usually end up making dinners that Hubby or the kids (or both) don't like and therefore don't eat. That means I've wasted lots of time and lots of money. Can you say frustrating???

I first heard about E-Mealz from my mom a year or two ago. She had a little promo card about them that she gave me. I checked the website out and threw the idea out the window when I saw the price for membership. I was only willing to do it if it was free. I just figured I could deal with the frustration of trying to plan dinnertime meals more than I could justify the expense, even though I saw the "recommended by Dave Ramsey" icon while I was browsing the website that first time. It did make me second-guess my choice to forego the membership, but we also didn't have the money to spare at the time.

Fast forward to November-ish of this past year (as in about 2 months ago). I was still feeling the frustration of my repeated failed attempts at planning good, nutritious and fairly balanced dinnertime meals. Then I realized that more than a majority of the personal blogs that I enjoy following have this little button or something similar:

So I made my mind up. IF I saw a decent sale on an E-Mealz membership, I decided I would buy one for my "big gift" at Christmas. And, E-Mealz had a Cyber Monday sale--30% off an annual membership. It took me all of a week (if that long) to be convinced that I had spent my money well. My husband routinely tells me how delicious dinner smells and tastes--and he is admittedly a bit persnickety about his food. And to top it off, Gigi, who has been our pickiest eater lately, said (I kid you not) "This is the best supper EVER, Mommy! Can you make it again...please?!?!?"

If that hasn't convinced you to give E-Mealz a shot, I'm not sure anything will. ;o) Just click on either of the banners or any of the links in this post and check it out for yourself. There are a lot of options, so make sure you check them all out before you make your purchase!

So, if you are frustrated or overwhelmed with planning dinner for your family, I cannot recommend a better service than E-Mealz. Now I just have to get to work matching up coupons with my E-Mealz grocery shopping list, and I'll be saving even MORE money. Hmmm...maybe a challenge to use coupons to save myself as much as I paid for my membership is in order.

What do you think; will you be giving E-Mealz a chance?

This post is linked to:

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Overseas Part 5: Mourning & Joy

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

* * * Just in case you didn't catch it from the title here, this post is a sad one.

You might want to stop reading if you don't feel like crying;
or you can take a moment and find some tissue.
It's a pretty safe bet that you'll need some.* * *

*sigh* It's hard to know where to begin sharing about this portion of our trip, even nearly six months later. Here goes...

We packed up on Sunday and headed to our next stop. We were able to pack in a fairly restful day and eat at a nice restaurant before tackling Monday morning. We were set to meet with women at two different care points; one with a preschool program of sorts. If I remember right, they are known as 'the center' and Joyela. (Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong and you know it!)

Anyway, it was a COLD and windy day, and there was no cooking shelter at the care point with a preschool program. So, try as they might, the gogos set to cook for the kids that day had a lot of trouble cooking. I was going to say they didn't cook, but some of the kids we saw while there were finishing their 'pap', so they must have.

My mind has lapsed as far as remembering where we were first, but it doesn't really matter. What was shared by one of the women as we delved into tea and cookies as we asked the women to share what had transpired at home over the weekend was traumatizing.

We were at the center, and three Timbali women came to visit. Through the blazing flashes and giant clangs of iron bars being welded (inside the building) and installed on the windows, one woman shared her testimony. She had been an alcoholic, hit rock bottom and turned herself to the Lord. I'm leaving all of the details out, but you can trust that her story is beautiful and amazing. Now I can't remember if it was this woman or another, but one of them told us how a brother had gotten drunk and nearly successfully tried to stab another family member. I was taken back by what she said when she was asked how she would like us to pray for her.

She wanted us to pray that he would not go to jail.

She expressed that he would would no longer be the staple financial provider if he went to jail, and that meant it would fall to her, and she would no longer be able to create the bag for Timbali Crafts, as that income would not be enough for everyone on the homestead. She knew she would miss the friendships that have developed through being a part of the Timbali program, but it would not provide enough to thoroughly support her family.

And then, as we were just about ready to get up to say our good-byes, it crept out. The final woman to share relayed a story of a relative's young son passing away over the weekend. He didn't die from sickness or hunger or anything else that would enter your mind a a 'typical' way for a 5-year-old to die in Swaziland. He was with his siblings--some older, at least one younger--walking along the highway, possibly trying to find water when he was struck by a speeding vehicle. His siblings watched him get hit. They saw him literally get ripped apart by the force with which he was hit. Can you imagine the sadness and possibly the guilt they must have been experiencing during that time?!? I still can't fathom it today.

We decided that we would visit the mourning family the next day to provide a box of groceries and just express our love for the family and our condolences for their loss. The food would be a major blessing because the mourning family is expected to cook for all who show up for the funeral.

Now, as far as family structure goes in Swaziland it can be a bit confusing as polygamy is widely accepted and practiced. This made it hard to decipher the "true" relationships between the affected people, but let's face it. A five year old kid being killed by a truck while walking down the highway is a horrible thing no matter how you look at it, and the family was in major need of comfort.

Our translator filled us in on what to expect while visiting the family: married women need a head covering, we would go back and forth between singing and being sung to and sharing what we could through our attempt to hold back tears. Oh, and the mother would be under a sheet wailing.

As we visited, we got to the point where the children were asked to enter the home (a cement slab with walls of some sort and a thatched roof) so that we could meet each of them. A younger sister (three...maybe four years old?) had very obviously been crying and continued to do so when she entered the home. You know how it's really easy to tell when a child is being scolded even when in a foreign language? Yeah, she was being scolded because crying is very, very taboo in the Swazi culture. I will never forget her face as that single tear ran down her cheek after her dad wiped her tears away and turned her face back to our group, huddled and doing our darndest not to lose our composure. One of the older siblings was also chided for her tears. Her single, silent tear that fell as her late brother's story was told to us.

We ended up singing the chorus of "Blessed Be Your Name" when it was 'our turn' to sing, and I have never had to fight so hard not to cry during a song. Between knowing what this mother had lost, and being on the other side of the world from my own children (and being 12-ish weeks pregnant), the words "you give and take away; you give and take away" had never been so full of meaning or so hard to choke out.

On a side note, I warned Hubby that this particular song would send me over the edge if it was sung at my first church service back in the States so that he would know why I busted out in sobs if that happened. It didn't happen at church, but at home when we put in the movie Soul Surfer. He had rented it so that we could have a low-key date night at home within a week of my return. Guess what song they are singing at a church service as the movie begins...

And because I really don't feel like leaving you with a sad story, here's a bit of joy that we saw at the other care point we visited during this part of the trip.

This little one captivated me; couldn't tell you why,
but he(?) held my attention for a long while!

Other posts documenting my mission trip to Swaziland:
Overseas Part 1: Tourists at Large
Overseas Part 2: Settling (and Diving) In
Overseas Part 3: Immersion
Overseas Part 4: Timbali Women's Camp

Overseas Part 5: Mourning & Joy

Overseas Part 4: Timbali Women's Camp

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

{Oops..I seem to be having trouble getting the videos to upload. I'll try for those during naptime later today...}

After spending the previous day purchasing fabric, participating in a Timbali work day and then eating dinner with Phumlile and her friends and family, I was glad to have a little bit of downtime before the retreat started. Okay, so it was really just driving in the van for an hour or so, but it did feel quite restful to me!

We held the Timbali Women's Camp (a retreat) at a boarding high school. Upon our arrival, we discovered that the students had not quite left the premises for their break as we had been led to expect. So we got to sit around and wait...and wait...we got pretty good at the waiting thing on this trip. ;o)

At one point during our wait, we were sitting with our luggage in a carport just outside of the kitchen/building the speaker sessions would take place. We decided to begin our way by praying for the weekend, the king (who was supposedly set to appear nearby that day), and the lives of the women we would be with over the weekend.

This is when one of the most moving moments of the weekend came for me.

As we were praying in our typical American close-your-eyes-and-hold-hands-and-go-around-the-circle-one-at-a-time way, the kitchen staff came out and gave us a prime example of how prayer happens in the Swazi culture. They came and stood behind us and began praying out loud. Everyone talking, everyone saying their own prayer, all at the same time. If you're familiar with the phrase "prayer chorus", that's exactly what it was. It was beautiful. For me, it was the second time in my life I've overwhelmed by the realization of how unbelievably crazy it is that God hears all of our prayers, understands them--and answers them. Have you ever heard or participated in a prayer like that? It's unbelievably moving.

Once the students had vacated the school, it was time for us to get busy moving into our dorm rooms and setting up for the weekend. We decorated the meeting room, organized (and finished creating) welcome packets for the attendees and created a "mail wall" where the women would be able to send and receive notes from us and from each other. This is a big deal, as jealousy is rampant in the Swazi culture. Not that our culture is free of jealousy, but we were warned that everything would need to be fair or the women would all choose not to participate. That would make for a fun weekend retreat, wouldn't it?

Tinhlitiyo Letikhululekile
English translation: Hearts Set Free

We put these signs--passages of Scripture
in SiSwati--all over the meeting room

Mail wall; EVERYBODY had an envelope with their name on it

The retreat was set up into four stations that were broken up by the weekend's speaker. The stations were games, crafts, store and...uh-oh. I don't have my trip journal with me. And I'm afraid it's hiding in my monstrosity of an office...so you'll just have to be okay with what remains in my memory bank for now.

I wasn't in on the games or crafts, but here's a little bit of what went on during those:

[pic/vid of crafts and games; again, hopefully these will be here come naptime]

I was one of the team members "in charge" of the store. We had to take all of this

{Yep...that would be at least 11 or so suitcases/totes
and LARGE garbage bags jam-packed with undergarments,
clothing and other household items}

and change it into something semi-organized so the women could "shop" all the items they wanted. Well, sort of. We set a value for each type of item and the women were given points (the whole fairness thing) so that set some boundaries. Not that the points system really worked...especially when I spoke not a single word of SiSwati and the translators we had were all occupied explaining the concept of "you-don't-have-enough-points-for-ALL-of-this-right-now". But we managed to get through it with only one slight incident...poor Ellie (six years old) nearly got run over by the gogos (grandmas; what the Timbali women are affectionately know as) when we took a moment to NOT block the entry door. Seriously. It was crazy.

Here's what it looked like before the gogos were allowed in:

Let's just say it didn't look ANYTHING like that after two rounds of shopping...no matter how many people we had refolding and placing things back on the tables!

And after blessing the kitchen staff for their hard work all weekend, here is what was left:

Just a little pile of some HUGE undies!

Well, there are the different rotations. The speaker, a Swaziland native, spoke on forgiveness. She really seemed to capture the women's attention and from the sounds of the women willing to share at the end of the weekend, she really broke through some hardened hearts. I couldn't really tell you any details of what she spoke of...she spoke in SiSwati and between our translator's interest in what she was saying and the few kiddos that came with their mom or grandma...we didn't really pick up on much. But the Timbali women did! It was evident that they had been touched and blessed by the weekend as they sang, danced and worshiped before they got in the vehicles for the drive home. Watch this:

Other random thoughts about the weekend I feel the need to share:

-It was very humbling to see the women eat while at the retreat. Many (all?) brought or found a container of some sort to bring food home in for their family. I even saw a woman pawing through a garbage bag from our craft materials to find a bag to bring some food home in. They ate what they could, and then piled the rest into whatever they were using to bring it home.

-I've never seen women so happy just to be visited--in one gogo's words--"by white American women". You could tell she (and others) felt blessed just to have us be with them, let alone provide them with a weekend of fun and fellowship, and in some cases material things, too--such as a box of groceries.

-I'm still adjusting to my pampered American life...but I ~~don't~~ can't go back to being the person/mom/wife/woman I was before I saw what I did...

Thanks for reading; I hope to have (finishing touches here and) another post about my Swaziland trip ready to read in 24 hours or less.

Other posts documenting my mission trip to Swaziland:
Overseas Part 1: Tourists at Large
Overseas Part 2: Settling (and Diving) In
Overseas Part 3: Immersion
Overseas Part 4: Timbali Women's Camp

Barefoot Books :: Winter Sale Highlights

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Here are a couple highlights from each category of the Barefoot Books Winter Sale. These prices are effective January 4 through February 15. Enjoy!

Bestsellers

Herb, The Vegetarian Dragon :: $5.99 (Paperback)

Fireside Stories :: $16.99 (Hardcover)

Babies

[picture coming soon]

You and Me :: $11.99 (Large Board Book)

Clare Beaton's Action Rhymes :: $4.99 (Board Book)

Toddlers

Bear About Town :: $4.99 (Paperback)

Listen, Listen :: $11.99 (Large Board Book)

Ages 4 to 7

Ruby's School Walk :: $11.99 (Hardcover)

The Miracle of the First Poinsettia :: $12.99 (Hardcover)

Ages 8 to 11

The Fabrics of Fairytale :: $12.99 (Paperback with 2 CDs)

Tales of Wisdom & Wonder :: $12.99 (Paperback with CD)

Spanish

El mundo :: $7.99 (Spanish paperback with CD)

Cerdota Grandota :: $4.99 (Spanish paperback)

You can find these and many other sale items in my Marketplace; please remember this winter sale starts January 4, 2012. I just thought I'd give you a heads up this time around. Let me know if you'd like help finding the perfect gift for the special little (or not so little) one in your life; I love giving suggestions.

Don't forget...shipping is free when your order totals $60 or more...and I'm available for parties/fundraisers if you'd like to earn free product! :o)

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

New Year, New Goals...

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Welcome to 2012! It's a new year and that's always a great time to wipe the slate clean and start fresh, right? Well, that's what I plan on doing...here on this blog, as well as in my real life.

I've decided to semi-copy a blogging friend and break my goals/resolutions into separate categories for 2012: personal, spiritual, marital and financial. Today you get to see the breakdown of the first three categories.

Personal

Manage time more wisely
Write more:

More blog posts
More Examiner.com articles (I'm a SAHM Examiner)
3 or more handwritten letters per month

Get back into pre-pregnancy shape or at least close to it ;o)

Spiritual

Spend time in the Word daily--should be easier to accomplish now that I got a travel-sized Bible for Christmas. No more filling up half a diaper bag with my Bible if I want to have access to it when I'm not at home! :o)
Say a meaningful prayer for Hubby every day
Get into the habit of using my prayer journal at some point during each day

Marital

Plan weekly date nights with Hubby (home or out...whatever fits into the budget!)
Figure out Hubby's love language and "speak" it to him at least two times every week

Financial

I'll be sharing these (very detailed) financial goals on Friday, when I start sharing my participation and progress in the Debt Snowflake Challenge on Mom's Plans.

Did you make any goals or resolutions for the new year? Share them in the comments!

Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers Review - and GIVEAWAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:26:00 +0000

I'm baaa-aack! ;o) I love the Christmas season, but man is it crazy-busy around here! I thought I'd come back with a fun post--a giveaway!

One of the things I haven't done very well when it comes to feeding my family is getting the veggies into us. I'm getting better now that I bought myself a membership to E-Mealz, but seeing it's something we're still working on, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to review a Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers with Pasta product when offered the opportunity via MyBlogSpark.

When my package arrived, I was very pleased. Here is what it contained:

~Coupon for free 11-12 oz. package of Steamers
~Surprise face serving spoon
~Serving Bowl
~2 placemats
~Broccoli-shaped 'stress reliever'

Now, to completely honest, I goofed and bought a package of rosemary potatoes and green beans with my coupon...not the right variety. Oops! The adults in this house thought they were delicious, though. I did buy a pack of the correct Green Giant product a couple weeks later, and the kids absolutely devoured the package of mac and cheese with broccoli. I thought it was good, but not as yummy as the potatoes were. That being said, I'll get veggies into my kids in any way possible. And the package of Steamers worked just fine for that purpose. I would definitely buy these Green Giant products again. :o)

Please use the form below to enter the giveaway; both responses are required. Winner will receive the prize pack shown above and will be notified on or around December 30, 2011.

You can learn more about these products at the Green Giant website or on the Green Giant facebook page.

Good luck!

***This giveaway is now closed.***

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;*Disclosure: MyBlogSpark provided me my own prize pack (including a free 11-12 oz. Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers with Pasta product coupon), information and an identical giveaway pack to facilitate this review. As always, opinions are 100% mine and were not influenced by the company in any way. This post also contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

We Are Not Alone!

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:38:00 +0000

Oops...it's Friday today, but here are my "Third Thursday Thoughts" for this month. :o)

This month's prompt was "When did you realize that you weren't alone on this journey called Motherhood?"

Thinking through this prompt has (yet again) reminded me of just how blessed I am, and really have been for as long as I can remember. The thought of not having another mother to go to for advice--namely my own!--has never occurred to me.

That being said, I do have some moments that stick out in my head as VERY poignant times when God has blessed me with another woman or group of women that have shown me in some very real and encouraging ways that motherhood is not meant to be a lone journey.

~A few days after having Gigi, my oldest sister came over on what "just so happened" to be one of my toughest days as a brand-new mother. She gave me a copy on On Becoming Babywise and I have had "such happy babies" ever since. Yeah for big sis not letting me go through months of torture (read: 9 months of literally feeding baby every 2 hours 24/7--as she did with her first baby)!

~A couple years later, I had the flu of some sort and it was BAD. I literally went from a robust D-cup (thank you, motherhood ;) back down to nothing...no milk in me for the hungry baby; no milk pumped and into the freezer yet. It was bad enough that my then third-shift husband called my mom and she took newborn Zee and not-quite 2-year-old Gigi overnight to let the sickness run its course. After hours and hours and hours of not keeping anything down and sleeping as much as I could, I was finally ready and almost ready to burst. I was able to go and relieve Grandma. I think she told me that Zee did finally take some formula a few short hours before I came to pick the kids up. He knew what he wanted!

~More recently, I was approached by a "stranger" while at our church women's retreat and given her phone number to call ANYTIME I needed Gigi to have a ride to school. For some reason, she thought that a pregnant woman shouldn't have to push a double-stroller uphill while prodding a five-year-old to get to school on time at 7:30 or so in the morning. Especially in freezing rain. Another family in the neighborhood also made sure to tell me that all they'd need to do to pick Gigi up was drive a different route to school.

Of course, there's always a sense of camaraderie when you get a bunch of moms together doing anything...exchanging cookies, eating dinner without kids or significant others nearby, sharing stories about nursing in public, sharing the latest cute, sassy or horrible things our kids have said out loud...anything. I really want to encourage you to look around and see just what you have.

Maybe it's obvious--like having your own mother available, nearby and more than willing to help out in any situation. Maybe it's not so obvious--like finding out that there are a bunch of people in the neighborhood that are more than willing to take your daughter to school so that you don't have to walk her. Maybe you can't apply either of those to your motherhood journey. If that's the case, look around again. Walk up to that mom at the mall, at the park, at church. Talk to her. There's a good chance she feels alone too, and would love to have another mom to chat with during this crazy journey called "life as a mommy".

*Disclaimer: This post enters me into a drawing to win two copies of Real Moms… Real Jesus by Jill Savage (one for me, one for a reader) from Hearts at Home; and contains affiliate/referral links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Call for Guest Bloggers & Writers

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

As you may have figured out by now, Hubby and I will soon be adding to our not-so-little brood. My official due date is February 19 and no, we do not know the gender of the baby. Just in case you were wondering. ;o)

I'm looking for guest posts for February and March 2012; most likely 3 per week. You do not need to be a blogger to contribute; you simply need to be able to provide me with your post's content at least one week in advance. Pretty please?

Here are my suggestions for the following weeks:

February 6 -

Snow day activities
General winter blues boredom-busters

February 13 -

Valentine's Day
Love
Dating your spouse/carrying romance past Valentine's Day

February 20 -

Quick meal ideas that are healthy, taste good and are kid-friendly
Ways to help the mother of a newborn

February 27 -

Ways to make older children feel un-ignored after a sibling's birth
Ways to make your spouse feel un-ignored after a child's birth

March 5 -

Ways to welcome spring
Fun crafts to occupy the toddler/preschooler

March 12 -

Missions outreach
Fun ways for missionaries to raise funds over the summer
Non-monetary ways to support families in the mission field

These are only suggestions; please feel free to e-mail me with any other ideas. If they feel like a good fit for this blog, I'll let you know!

All posts will be shared on facebook (personal and fan page) and will be tweeted at least once the day they are posted. Hope to hear from YOU soon!

Thanks,
Pam

Not here again...

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:00:00 +0000

...but I am more than happy to redirect you over to...

to read my guest post about our family's traditional holiday recipes!

Thanks for having me again, Roz!

Affiliate Awareness ~ November 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Alrighty...I'm going to try out something new today. I'm going to go through some of my affiliates and let you know what specials or discounts they are currently offering. Most of them will be banners that you can click through to use the offer, but if that's not the case, I'll make sure to let you know how to get in on the deal. There's bound to be a treasure or two meant just for you! ;o)

-Sittercity: A great place to find sitters (baby, pet, senior...), tutors, nannies and more. Sitters you find through this site have background checks, references and parent reviews!

-Tiny Prints, Inc.: Lots of options for personalized cards and invitations for ANY occasion!

-Mixbook.com: I have reviewed their 12x12 hardcover photobook, and HIGHLY recommend using this company!

-Calendars.com : This site sells tons of stuff, not just awesome calendars. Definitely worth checking out for that difficult-to-buy-for person.

-Milk Bands LLC: Use promo code onefree for a FREE nursing cover; price will be dropped to $0 (shipping charges will apply). I got myself one of these as a freebie when Lulu was born and was pleased with it. It will be coming out of hiding soon to keep me covered up when this baby is born in February!

-Memory Cross Inc.: Again, many options here. CDs, games, VBS stuff...even tracts. I think a lot of the products sold here would be GREAT for Bible lessons either at home or at Sunday school classes. What do you think?

-DaySpring Cards Inc: Gifts and cards for pretty much any and every holiday and special occasion. Perfect for the Christian women on your gift list. :o)

{Note: You can always--well, at least usually--find links to these affiliates in my right sidebar. Scroll down a bit and use those buttons to go directly to the website. This is just a quick highlight of deals you can find from each company at the time of this post.}

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links; I may be compensated for purchases you make upon clicking through these links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Still Think Living on One Income is Impossible?

noreply@blogger.com (Pam) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Barefoot Pam's November edition of the:

The blog hop prompt for November was this:

Share 5 "things" you've given up so your family can have more.

It's generally a given that you're going to need to make some (material) sacrifices if you move from 2 incomes to one, for any reason. For me, living on one income after children was a given. Hubby had different ideas. I went through various part-time day job options over the course of 2 years or so, but in the end it stressed me out beyond belief. I have (very) happily been a stay-at-home-mom for more than a couple of years now, and I hope to keep it that way for a while. Yes, I make a little cash selling my Barefoot Books--something I hope to do more of in the near future--and a teeny little bit here and there on this blog, but not.a.lot. I also earn through Swagbucks, Inbox Dollars and Superpoints, but those streams of income generally get used as "gifts" or "debt snowballs" in our household budget.

Obviously, we aren't able to give ourselves or our children all of their desires. There's nothing wrong with that. I actually believe society in general is doing children a world of harm by sending them the message that they should be given every little (or big) thing their hearts desire. Ugh...what happened to teaching kids to WORK for what they want? {Okay; I'm done venting now.}

Here are the 5 "things" I've come up with that our family lives without so that our family can have more...

(1) Vehicle #2
We have been a one-vehicle family for a while now. Yes, it is often an annoyance, but it's much less annoying than having to pay 2 car payments, fill 2 vehicles with gas, maintain two vehicles... We end up spending much less on unnecessary trips out of the house "just because" when I don't have the option to leave unless I bundle us all up for a walk!

(2) TV Service (cable, satellite, etc.)
We never have (and more than likely never will) pay for a television service. Hubby and I both grew up with "just" local broadcast stations, so we've never even brought this up as an option! We might look into getting a netflix account (again), but for now we settle for something from either the local rental shop or a Redbox kiosk.

(3) Brand New ___________________
We very rarely purchase anything brand-new...cars, clothes, toys...it's such an easy way to save and have more to give to others in need! We will splurge every now and then for special occasions. But I will always look for THE best deal before I do splurge!

(4) School
I had a hard time deciding whether or not to share this one. The decision that we made to send our daughter to our local public school was much more difficult than I had anticipated. At first, I figured homeschooling was the natural option, as I am thisclose to having an elementary education degree and we have every intention of continuing our journey to Africa. To make a long story short, we are certain that we've made the right choice for our daughter at this point in time. Public school means that we don't have a tuition to pay, nor do we have to scrounge for the funds to purchase curriculum and/or software that I would need to provide the level of homeschooling I would want to provide.

(5) Second income = more time with the littles
The most obvious thing we live without so that we can have more is a second income. Being a SAHM is difficult in many ways, but it is also rewarding in many more ways. I can choose to spend all day playing with the kids in my jammies, or I can choose to 'get down to business' and make sure every household chore is done properly. Either way, I don't spend 10, 20 or even 40+ hours away from my children.

In case you can't tell by now, being able to give more of myself to my children is pretty important to me, and I do so by living without 'things' that would certainly be nice to have. And I wouldn't change our lifestyle for anything!

Your turn: What do you live without so that your family can have more?

*Disclaimer: This post enters me into a drawing to win two copies of Living With Less So Your Family Has More by Jill & Mark Savage from Hearts at Home and contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.